A Good Enough Moment to Begin!
“You don’t have to have it all figured out to take the first step. The future belongs to those who begin anyway.” — SistaTalk Collective
In the 1970s, psychologist Walter Mischel became famous for the marshmallow experiment—offering children one marshmallow now or two if they waited. But what was less publicised was the deeper takeaway - children’s decisions were based not only on willpower, but on trust in their environment. If they believed the future was unstable or uncertain, they took the marshmallow. Why wait, when nothing’s guaranteed?
Entrepreneurship is much the same. We wait for the perfect time. The right investor. A stable economy. Clarity. Confidence. But in the world we’re navigating—where high street businesses are vanishing; councils are tightening support budgets, banks are risk-averse, and government policies create more red tape than relief—there is no perfect moment.
Still, we act. Because we must. Because this—this moment—is good enough to start.
As Nanea Hoffman reminds us: “There are plenty of good enough moments. This one, for example.” Neuroscience backs this up. The brain thrives on action. According to Dr. Andrew Huberman, even small steps toward a goal trigger dopamine—igniting motivation and creating upward momentum. Waiting breeds hesitation. Starting creates clarity. And for women—especially women of colour navigating systemic exclusion in entrepreneurship—clarity is power.
Just Remember
There will never be a perfect time to chase that goal, build that dream or pivot that business.
But there will be good enough moments—and they are often disguised as ordinary days.
This one—today—is one of them. Don’t underestimate the power of starting small but with intention.
The world isn’t waiting for you to be perfect. It’s waiting for you to begin.
What Can You Do Right Now?
Starting doesn’t mean scaling overnight. It means choosing forward movement over fear.
Here are three simple but powerful exercises to take today:
Micro-Momentum Mapping: List the one thing you can do in the next 24 hours that moves your idea forward. It could be sending an email, registering a domain, or sketching your brand values. Small wins release dopamine—fuel for consistency.
Barrier Inventory & Breakthrough Strategy: Write down your biggest external barriers—lack of funding, local red tape, reduced footfall. For each, brainstorm one tech-based or low-cost alternative. For example, if local shops are closing, can you sell via TikTok Shop or Etsy? If council grants are scarce, can you crowdfund on GoFundMe with a personal story?
AI & Automation Audit: Look at your business process. Where are you losing time? Tools like ChatGPT (for content), Notion (for planning), or Shopify (for e-commerce) can reduce your workload and amplify your impact. Time is your currency—spend it wisely.
The Reality Check (And Why You Must Still Begin)
Yes, it’s hard. Banks are conservative. Regulations are bloated. The high street is shrinking. Local councils often offer more red tape than relief. But here's the truth, waiting for a better environment won’t build your business. Adapting to this one will.
Female founders, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, are used to making a way out of no way! Look at the rise of digital pop-up stores, Instagram brands, AI-powered coaches, and content creators monetising micro-audiences. Those aren’t trends. They’re strategies born from necessity.
Your business isn’t just a product or service—it’s a rebellion. It’s a refusal to shrink in a system that was never built for you. But to grow it, you need to act. Now!
The moment is not perfect. But it's perfectly enough.
One Last Thing
You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to start. As Dr. Carol Dweck says, "Becoming is better than being." Don’t let perfection become procrastination. Don’t let fear become your founder’s story.
This week, take one imperfect action. Launch the page. Write the pitch. Ask the question. Build the thing. Use the tools at your fingertips—AI, digital platforms, data insight—to create your own roadmap. Because if we wait for institutions to catch up, we’ll be waiting forever.
But if we act now, we take the power back—we build the future ourselves!
If today feels like your “good enough” moment, like this post to mark your commitment. Share one action you’re committing to today in the comments, no matter how small. And don’t keep the momentum to yourself—share this with another Sista who needs the nudge to begin. Together, let’s move forward, one bold step at a time!
